Go Wild Tourism Magazine

TEAM SPIRIT

Meet Brian Bowler, Regional Operations Manager at The iNUA Collection

At the start of 2022, Brian

Bowler took on a whole new challenge – one he’s been preparing for over the last 25-years. The new Regional Operations Manager at The iNUA Collection, part of Cliste Hospitality, is drawing on his two-and-a-half decades working in hotel management to provide support to the teams across the group’s ten properties in Ireland. These include: Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney, Kilkenny Hibernian, Dublin One plus the Radisson Blu in Cork, Sligo, Limerick and Athlone.

So far, he’s relishing the change of pace. “It’s exciting. I’m enjoying getting out to so many different properties in different parts of the country,” he says. “It’s a strange transition. When you’re a general manager (GM), you’re so focused on one property and involved in every aspect of the running of the business; you need to know what’s going on in all areas of the hotel. Whereas, when you’re working in a group role, you have good GMs and teams in place, so you don’t need to get into that level of detail. It’s more about getting across the overall

strategy for the company and making sure everybody’s on track, offering guidance, assistance and support.”

Born and raised in Kerry, Brian has firm roots in hospitality. “I grew up in Ballyferriter on the Dingle Peninsula – one of the most beautiful places in the country. My mother had a guesthouse and I worked in local pubs and restaurants from an early age. When I was 18, I went to college to study computers and quickly realised it wasn’t for me, that hospitality was where my passion was.” He took part in a trainee manager programme and landed a job at the Gleneagle Hotel in Killarney. And so began his career in hotel management. Roles in the Clarion in Limerick and Cork plus Carton House in Maynooth followed, before he took on his first GM role at The Brehon in Killarney. His next was in The Montenotte in Cork, where he remained for five-years before accepting this new role at iNUA. “I’m proud of all the properties I’ve worked in, alongside excellent GMs, inspirational owners and operators. Every day has been a learning day.”

Brian is also the current President of the Irish Hospitality Institute, where he’s tasked with driving the promotion of careers within the industry. “The biggest challenge we have at the moment

is the retention and recruitment of talent. The pandemic had a detrimental impact on hospitality workers and created this perception that it’s not a secure sector in which to build a career, when in fact it was the country’s largest indigenous employer before the pandemic. It’s an industry that’s heavily reliant on its people. They’re at the core of our business.” To address this challenge at iNUA, Brian has focused on training and development and enhancing employee benefits.

With 2022 seeing positive bookings and a huge expansion on the horizon, Brian is excited about the Collection’s bright future. “We want to grow the business through the continuous investment in our products and our people. We’re also working hard on our sustainability programme with the goal of becoming carbon neutral in ten-years. Cliste Hospitality’s ambition is to double its portfolio to about 20-properties over the next two-and-a-half years.” So what does Brian consider the key attributes one needs to work in the industry? “A positive personality, strong work ethic, resilience, attention to detail and collaborative spirit to work as part of a team.” Clearly, skills he’s honed to lead the next generation.

Go Wild East Magazine - Summer Edition 2022

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